If I Ruled The World
by Rainnboots
Summary: Kendall sighed. "I just want you to be with someone who's going to give you the world." "I don't want the world," she pointed out. Kendall shrugged, looking over at her. "Doesn't mean you don't deserve it."


**Author's Note:** So I probably switched the main characters in the story about six different times. First it was going to be centered around Carlos and an OC, then Kendall and an OC, then Kendall and Katie, then James and Katie, then Carlos and an OC again, _then_ Kendall an OC again, before I finally had to slap myself a bit and say I was going to write a story about Katie and Kendall, plain and simple, no more switching. Set a few years down the line, when Kendall's about 26 and and Katie's about 20. The title of the story really doesn't have that much to do with the story; just a reference to the song, and how Kendall would give the world to his baby sister if he could. :) That's all you guys need to know about the story; hope you all enjoy! As always, _**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

**Disclaimer: **Any recognizable names and/or places are the property of their respective owners.

**Warnings:** None.

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><p>Kendall fidgted with the spare change in his pocket; two quarters, a nickle, and six pennies — sixty-one cents. He slid his thumb over the edge of one of the quarters, letting his nail catch on all of the tiny divots as the line moved an inch across the floor. He sighed, standing on his toes and peering over the heads in front of him. What was the point of a line, anyway? Why didn't everybody just mill around, saying hi to people as you come across them, like a normal party?<p>

He sighed, standing on his toes and peering over the heads in front of him; James was next in line. James was his buddy, he wouldn't mind a line-jump.

Kendall quickly moved down the line, slipping in front of his friend.

"Sorry, James," he said. "Big Brother coming through."

James let out a tiny noise of protest but took a step back, Kendall flashing him a small smile of thanks.

Kendall let out a breath, turning his attention to the girl — _Woman_, Kendall had to remind himself — in front of him.

"Mrs. Oliphant," Kendall said, nodding. Katie laughed, pulling Kendall in for a tight hug.

"Dude," Katie whispered, "_I'm married_."

"Dude," Kendall repeated, "_I know_."

She giggled, looping her arm up under his and gripping his shoulder. He kissed her cheek.

He pulled away and set her hands on his shoulders, tilting his head to the side slightly. She set her hands on her hips and did the same.

"I'm really happy for you, Baby Sister," he said. Katie smiled.

"Thanks, Big Brother."

Kendall gave her one final kiss, eyes shifting from his sister the the man standing next to her left, her husband.

Nathan was tall with prep-school good looks; a thick head of hair, sea green eyes, and a winning smile. Broad shouldered and built like a rower, with calluses on his palms.

"Congratulations," Kendall smiled, grasping Nathan's hand with both of his. "You're a really lucky guy."

Nathan smiled over at Katie, nodding. "Yes, I am."

"Take care of my sister, alright?" said Kendall, raising his eyebrows slightly. Nathan laughed, clapping Kendall on the shoulder.

"You have nothing to worry about," said Nathan. He leaned over, planting a quick peck on Katie's lips.

With one last congratulations and smile to his sister, Kendall followed the crowd into the dining room for dinner.

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><p>Kendall tilted his bottle onto its edge, swirling it around the ring of condensation that had formed on the table cloth. The beer was now warm — having only been a few degrees above room temperature when he got it initially, snuck into the reception by one of the wait staff — but he took a drink despite that, surveying the room. Kendall spotted Carlos in the middle of the dancefloor, jacketless with his sleeves rolled up, dancing with one of his cousins; Logan was at one of the tables off to the side, talking to a small group of their mutual friends; and James was on the opposite end of the hall, holding open the door out of the ballroom for a small redhead Kendall didn't recognize.<p>

Kendall let out a sigh, turning his attention back to the bottle in front of him. He began to pick at the top corner of the label, peeling off the label, when he felt a pair of hands grab his shoulders.

"Hiya, Kendall."

Kendall jumped slightly, the bottle nearly teetering out of his hand. Katie smiled, running her hand through her brother's hair as she took the chair next to him.

"Jeez, Katie," said Kendall. "Trying to give me a heart attack or something?"

"Or something," Katie shrugged, leaning her elbow against the table. She blew a piece of hair from her face, setting her chin on her fist. "Enjoying the party?"

"It's great," Kendall smiled.

"You think so?" she asked, looking around the room. "A bit more than I wanted, honestly, but Nate's family insisted. Had to have a venue big and extravagent enough to entertain the mayor."

"The mayor's here?" Kendall asked, straightening up in his chair.

"Mm-hmm," Katie nodded, looking out to the dance floor. "Old guy in the blue suit next to Carlos, trying to Dougie."

Kendall looked over his shoulder, laughing before turning back to Katie.

"You having fun?" Kendall asked, raising his eyebrows. Katie nodded.

"Like I said, more than I wanted, but it's still nice," she smiled. She wiped under her eyes, checking her reflection in the back of a spoon. "Is my make up all messed up?"

"My little sister is wearing _make up?_" said Kendall, feigning shock. Katie rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha, very funny," she said. "But really, is it?"

"You look beautiful," Kendall reassured her. Katie smiled, then looked back over the crowd, her forehead wrinkling slightly.

"You okay?" asked Kendall.

"Hmm?" Katie turned back to him, raising her eyebrows. "Oh, yeah, fine, just worn out. Who knew planning a wedding could be so hard?"

Katie suddenly fanned her face. "You hot? It feels stuffy in here. Wish we could crack a window."

"You want to take a walk?" asked Kendall

"I probably shouldn't just up and leave Nate..." said Katie, eyes drifting to a table near the center of the room, where the groom and his family were sitting.

"Come on, Katie; the beach is waiting. You can't just not walk on the beach."

Katie looked back at him and after a moment, smiled. She leaned back in her chair, toeing off her heels and shoving them under the table.

"What're you doing?" asked Kendall.

"Beating you to the shore," Katie said simply, then took off.

Kendall stumbled out of his chair, Katie already halfway across the ballroom before he could take off after her. She glanced over her shoulder as she pushed through the doors, a mischevious smile on her face, as if she were six years old again and they were playing a game of Tag in their front yard. She called out to him, laughing, but her voice was drowned out by the sounds of the reception. He stumbled across the room, struggling to pull off both his shoes and socks while in motion.

"You can't catch me!" Katie sing-songed, pressing through the back doors of the hotel, Kendall hot on her trail.

"Oh come on, you could never outrun me!" Kendall called back. Katie only laughed, holding her skirt as she sprinting across the concrete, not bothering to slow down as she reached the dunes; she simply lept off, landing on her hands and knees. She struggled to get up, tangled in her dress. Kendall followed in her tracks; as he landed Kendall slipped, falling flat onto his face. They laughed breathlessly, chests heaving, crouching in the sand.

"You okay?" Katie asked. Kendall waved her off, shaking his head.

"Fine," he said. He leaned back on his legs and wiped his forehead. After a moment he looked at her, reaching out her hand and smacking her arm.

"Got you," he said. Katie smiled, setting her hands on her thighs. Kendall stood up, wiping his hands as Katie again struggled to push herself up.

"Need some help?" Kendall asked. Katie shook her head, rocking back on her heels and finally righting herself. She reached down, dusting a bit of sand from the front of her dress, then looked back up at Kendall. He offered his elbow, eyebrows raised, and she looped her arm through his.

"Come come, young Kathryn," said Kendall. "The beach is waiting."

They walked in silence for a while, listening to the waves crashing onto the shore, watching the seagulls nose-dive into the water for their dinner.

"Did you like the ceremony?" Katie asked, looking up at her brother. Kendall nodded.

"It was nice," said Kendall.

"Really?"

"Well, it was kind of long, but it was still nice."

"I dropped the ring," she said.

Kendall laughed loudly. "That was hilarious."

"Weddings are supposed to happy and emotional, not _hilarious_."

"Then it wouldn't've been your wedding," said Kendall. Katie looked at the ground, smiling almost embarrassingly. After a moment she grunted, unhooking her hands from Kendall's arm and tugging up the sides of her dress, adjusting the top.

"Freaking dress," she mumbled. "Don't even _like_ strapless dresses."

"Why're you wearing one, then?" asked Kendall.

"I wanted something with a bit of a strap, but his mom thought I looked just _divine _in the dress. 'You have beautiful shoulders, dearest. You simply _must_ show off your shoulders," Katie imitated. She scoffed. "My shoulders aren't even that great."

"Did you like _anything_ about your wedding?" asked Kendall.

"Yeah," said Katie, her tone slightly unconvincing. "I really wanted to get married here, on the coast, and we got to have a lot of greenery instead of gaudy flower centerpieces, and I got to pick the cake flavor — and thank God for that, too. Nate wanted _carrot cake_." Katie gagged, shivering once.

"_Carrot cake?_"

"With cream cheese frosting. Oh God, I want to throw up."

Kendall laughed, watching as she tugged gently at the bun on the crown of her head.

"Nate's family is very... persuasive," said Katie. "They like things their way, and have this funny backwards way of getting you to see think that you like things their way, too."

"True politicians," said Kendall.

"They're not as bad as you think," said Katie. "Just fussier than we are."

"I didn't say they were bad," Kendall pointed out. Katie shrugged, rubbing her arms as a breeze swept in from the water.

"Cold?" asked Kendall, pulling at the lapel of his jacket. She shook her head, looking out over the water. She stopped short, pulling on Kendall's arm to keep him in place.

"Look," she said, pointing out to the ocean. Out off the coast were two surfers, carving through the water on their boards. They turned to get a better view, watching as one took their board up off the wave and spun, landing back down perfectly on the wave. Kendall plopped down on the sand, taking off his jacket and spreading it on a spot of sand beside him, looking up at Katie and patting the jacket. Katie took his outstretched hand, feeling his hand at her hip, keeping her steady as she sat down.

"What a gentleman," she teased.

"Mama didn't raise no fool," said Kendall. Katie rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the waves.

They sat and watched the surfers, letting out loud "Oh!"s and "Ah!"s as they rode and crashed, calling out numbers when they did tricks, as if scoring the Olympics. Their eyes followed the pair down the water, watching them ride until they were nearly out of sight.

Katie sighed, eys on the ocean as the sun began to set to the west. Kendall looked over at her.

"What?" he asked. Katie shook her head, squinting in the wind.

"Nothin'," she said. "Just miss spending time with you like this, only you and me, like when we were younger."

Kendall looked at the sand, flicking a small pebble off his bare foot. "I miss it, too."

Katie suddenly laughed, clutching her chest. Kendall felt himself smiling, furrowing his eyebrows.

"What?" he asked.

"I was just thinking about that one night when we snuck out to go watch that triple-feature on the side of the old warehouse by the park, and Carlos' dad ended up being there working security." Katie slapped her thigh, laughing. "We got in so much trouble! He actually handcuffed us and made us ride in the back of his cruiser. You remember that?"

"Of course I do," said Kendall. "Mom grounded me for three weeks for sneaking you out."

Katie tugged at her bun again. "I was really scared that night, being in the back of the police car."

"The great Katie Knight was _scared_?" Kendall teased, laughing when Katie gave his shoulder a rough shove.

"I just thought we were going to be in _really_ big trouble. I was only ten, you know."

"Well, you sure didn't act scared," said Kendall. "I recall you asking Officer Garcia to turn on the radio at one point."

"Yeah, well, I've always been good at hiding that sort of thing," said Katie

"What sort of thing?"

"Nerves, disappointment, fear, anger, sadness," Katie listed. "I've always been good at not letting people know when I'm upset like that."

Kendall frowned to himself, scratching his cheek.

"Do you hide that kind of stuff when you're around me?" Kendall asked. Katie thought for a moment.

"Not usually," said Katie. "You were kind of the only person I could talk to growing up; Mom and Dad were always fighting, so I could never go to them without being pushed aside or only being given half of their attention. And then when they got divored, it made it all worse. You were who I went to when I needed someone to talk to."

Kendall smiled lightly, then looked back over the water.

"Do you hid it from Nate?"

Katie sighed, shrugging heavily. "I try not to."

"But...?"

"But he's busy, a lot, with law school and all his family's political stuff; it streses him out. I don't want to make his life any harder than it already is."

"You telling your husband what's bothering you shouldn't make his life harder."

"Still," said Katie. "I try not to hide things from him, but sometimes it's just easier if I deal with it on my own."

Katie dug a small hole in the sand with a stick she found, Kendall watching her.

"Do you like him?" Katie asked.

"Who, Nate?" said Kendall. Katie nodded, chin in her fist, still digging. Kendall shrugged, pulling a face.

"He seems like a nice enough guy," said Kendall.

"But...?" said Katie, mimicking her brother's tone from before.

"I don't know him that well. Whenever I talk to him, he always seems like he's campaigning, trying to win me over."

"It's a reflex," said Katie. "His dad's been in politics his whole life; it's just how he is."

"I know. I don't like it. It seems disingenuous."

Katie dug the stick into the ground, pooling sand back into the hole, trapping the stick in place so only a small part was sticking out of the top.

"You just have to get to know him," said Katie.

"It's hard to get to know someone when all they seem to say is what they think I want to hear," Kendall said bluntly. Katie pulled the stick back out, tossing it hard out into the ocean.

"What do you have against him?" asked Katie.

"Nothing," said Kendall.

"Yes, you do. You're never yourself around Nathan. Why not?"

"I already told you: He's too political for me," said Kendall. "But that doesn't matter."

"Of course it does," said Katie. "I want you to like him. He's your brother-in-law and my husband now; a part of my life for the rest of my life. I don't want anytime we're around each other to be awkward."

Kendall rolled his eyes.

"I'll be perfectly pleasant to him as long as he treats you well."

"And why would he not?"

"I didn't say he wouldn't."

"You implied it."

"Can we stop talking about this?" Kendall said abruptly. "My opinion on him doesn't matter, only yours does. Do you love him?"

"Of course I do," said Katie.

"And he loves you?"

"Kendall, _we just got married_."

Kendall lifted his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I just..."

"Just what?" Katie asked.

Kendall sighed, bringing his knees up and resting his arms over them, clasping his hands together. "I just want you to be with someone who's going to give you the world."

"I don't want the world," she pointed out.

Kendall shrugged, looking over at her. "Doesn't mean you don't deserve it."

Katie brought her knees up in a mirror image of Kendall's pose, wrapping her arms around her legs and setting her chin on her knees, watching a tiny white crab stumble across the sand.

"He doesn't want kids," Katie said quietly.

"Nathan?"

Katie nodded. Kendall raised his eyebrows, leaning back.

"But you've always wanted a big family," said Kendall. Katie nodded.

"I know," she said. "And he says if — a big, fat _if_ — we were to have any, he definitely wouldn't want to adopt. He's just _sure_ he couldn't love someone elses child as much as his own."

Kendall glanced at Kendall from the corner of his eye, watching as she surreptiously wiped the corners of her eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder if we're too different," she said. "If maybe we're too opposite."

"Why would you marry someone if you're doubting your relationship?" Kendall asked.

Katie shrugged. "We all have doubts about people sometimes."

"Sometimes those doubts are trying to tell us something," said Kendall.

"Are you trying to say you don't think I should've married Nate?" asked Katie.

"I'm just saying you should spend your life with someone you really, really love," said Kendall.

"I do love him, I just... don't always like him sometimes."

"Relationships don't work like that, Katie," said Kendall.

"What're you talking about? I don't always like my loved ones. There've been points in my life where I didn't like you," Katie pointed out.

"I know, but we're _siblings_, Katie. You and Nathan are married."

"What's the difference?"

"Everything! You're supposed to marry someone you're _in love_ with, not just someone you love most of the time."

Katie looked back out over the ocean as Kendall slipped his arm over her shoulder. "I just want you to be as happy as you can possibly be, and to spend your life with someone who's going to try and make that happen for you."

Katie leaned her head against him. "Thanks for always looking out for me, Kendall."

Kendall squeezed her shoulder. "I'll always look out for my baby sister."

"But, you know you are going to have to let me go sometime," said Katie.

Kendall sighed, squeezing her shoulder gently.

"I know," he sighed, then kissed the top of her head. "Just let me hold on a little bit longer, okay?"

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><p>Reviews? Anyone? Anyone? ...Bueller?<p> 


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